The Child From the Future
by NatsumiDragneel123
Summary: Ever wonder about the future? Maybe who you will marry and how your kids will turn out? Well, Natsu and Lucy have this very experience when one day, a young child with pink hair and brown eyes mysterious arrives in Magnolia. And she turns out too be their future daughter. Enjoy this tale of love and friendship as the wizards of Fairy Tail get to know a bit about their futures.
1. Chapter 1

Late one Saturday afternoon, Natsu Dragneel was on his way to the home of a certain female wizard.

Natsu had been in love with Lucy Heartfilia from the fateful day they had met in Hargeon. And he had been trying to tell her how he felt ever since she had joined the Fairy Tail guild.

He reached Lucy's apartment at nearly two in the afternoon, but paused just outside her front door. However, something wasn't right.

Natsu looked up and saw that all her lights were out, despite it being so late in the day. So, instead of announcing his arrival, Natsu decided to just climb in through the bedroom windows like always.

But, as soon as he was inside, Natsu realized that Lucy was still fast asleep. So, he just smiled lovingly as he pulled the thick comforter back over her shoulders. Finally, he placed a soft kiss against Lucy's forehead before climbing into bed next to her.

And about ten minutes later, Lucy Heartfilia awoke to her bedroom being quite a bit warmer than usual.

She sat up in confusion, looking around the room carefully before throwing off her heavy comforter. That's when she felt a rough material brush against her hand.

Lucy turned her head, only to see her team mate and secret crush, Natsu Dragneel, was fast asleep next to her.

After taking few deep breaths to calm herself down, Lucy began to shake Natsu as hard as she could to wake him up.

"NATSU DRAGNEEL! You get up right now and tell me what the hell you think you're doing in my room!"

"Huh? Lucy? What's with all the noise?" Natsu asked groggily as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

" _NOISE_? You answer me right this minute! What the hell are you doing in my bed?" Lucy yelled, all the while, trying to ignore the little voice in her head telling her to kiss the worried frown from Natsu's lips.

"Well, I got here at two. But, when I saw your lights were out, I thought something might be wrong. So, I just...let myself in through the window." he finished meekly.

Natsu took one glance at the annoyed look on Lucy's face before throwing his hands up in defense.

"I...I only came in to make sure you were all right! Like I said, it was two in the afternoon and your place was completely dark. I was worried you might be sick or even hurt. I just needed to be sure because I..." But, Natsu suddenly stopped before he finished his sentence.

Lucy just stared at Natsu in confusion, noticing that a light pink blush had formed on his tan cheeks. She then gave a heavy sigh before beginning to speak again.

"It's...It's all right, Natsu. Just promise me the next time you're worried about me, you'll, at the very least, tell me you're coming in. Deal?"

"Sure thing, Lucy. But, I really didn't mean to scare you. Sorry." Natsu said as he rubbed the back of his head in shame.

Lucy gave Natsu a soft smile that deepened the pink color on his cheeks.

"I told you, it's no problem. It's really just nice to know you care. But, seriously... just knock next time, okay?"

"Got it." Natsu said with a wide grin.

"So, how 'bout we head on to the guild? I owe the Ice Princess a major butt-kickin'!" Natsu said, jumping up from the bed.

"Sure, Natsu." Lucy laughed. "But, I still need to shower and get dressed. It should only take about twenty minutes. Think you can wait that long?" she finished with a slight smirk.

"Nah. I'll just wait at the guild. But... I do need a small favor."

"Really? What's that, Natsu?"

"I just need to talk to Loke about...something. You think you can call him for me when you get to the guild hall?"

"That's fine. But, can I ask what's so important?" Lucy asked with an air of genuine interest.

"Oh...uh, it's just... you know. Guy stuff." Natsu muttered, not meeting Lucy's eye.

She stared at Natsu for a few minutes, but decided against prying into his private business.

So, after a quick wave good-bye, Lucy entered her bathroom to shower and Natsu jumped back out the window to wait at the guild hall.

***TIME SKIP***

About thirty minutes later, Lucy was walking down the main street of Magnolia that led directly to the Fairy Tail guild. However, she was still curious to know why Natsu would want to talk to Loke so badly.

"I mean, I know Loke used to be a member of Fairy Tail long before I joined up with the guild." Lucy mused out loud to herself. "But, ever since I learned he was actually Leo the Lion and he joined me as one of my Spirits, I don't think they've really seen all that much of each other. So, just what could Natsu want with him?"

Lucy pondered over this in her head as she continued to get closer to Fairy Tail's guild hall.

After a few more minutes of walking, Lucy could see the pink-haired form of Natsu Dragneel waiting outside the open front doors of the guild hall. So, with a bright smile on her face, Lucy ran up to Natsu with Loke's key in hand.

"Hey Lucy!" he said with an excited smile. "Thanks for doin' this, Luce. And I promise this'll all make sense real soon."

"Well then, let's do this. Stand back a bit, 'kay" Lucy said, waving her hand in a shooing motion.

Natsu nodded as Lucy took a deep breath before beginning the summoning of a Celestial Spirit.

"OPEN! GATE OF THE LION PALACE, LOKE!" A loud gong sounded from nowhere as Loke rose from his gate.

"Hey there, Loke." Lucy said before gesturing towards Natsu, who was standing a few feet behind her with a strange look on his face. "Natsu here says he needs to talk to you about something. That okay?"

Loke, however, just smiled seductively at Lucy as he answered her.

"Wouldn't you rather join me for a nice romantic dinner?" he said, placing an arm around her shoulders. "Maybe a trip to the beach? I bet your dynamite body could easily rock a bikini. We could even go shopping for a new one if you want. Find something that pleases us both."

Suddenly, Natsu placed a firm hand on Loke's shoulder with a dark shadow clouding his face.

"Oh...yeah. Hey, Natsu? I'm kinda busy right now. Can we talk later?" Loke said before turning his focus back to an uncomfortable- looking Lucy.

But, listening to Loke flirt with his crush any longer was more than Natsu's short temper could take.

"STOP FLIRTING WITH HER, YOU OBNOXIOUS, WHORING BASTARD!" Natsu yelled before punching Loke in the face with all his strength.

He was so surprised by this, that when Natsu's fist made contact, Loke's entire body was thrown to the ground in a heap.

"What the hell, man? What was that for?" Loke asked angrily as he rubbed his now-reddening cheek. But, Natsu just stood over Loke's body with a dark glint in his eyes as he cracked his knuckles menacingly.

"I will not allow you to flirt with Lucy anymore, you disgusting manwhore! I will not give her to you or _anyone else_! Do you hear me, you perverted ass? She...is...MINE! So, why don't you just head on back to your world and stay away from my girl!"

Natsu and Loke gave each other an angry glare as the Lion Spirit disappeared back through his gate.

"Did...Did you really mean that, Natsu?"

These gentle words caused Natsu to give a quick start before slowly turning around to see Lucy staring at him in confusion and hope.

"Well, actually...yes. Yes, I _do_ mean it, Lucy. Listen, Lucy. I know that I can be a bit reckless and stubborn. I also know that I pretty much destroy entire towns when we go on jobs. But, I've loved you from the day we met. And I firmly believe that I'm the only one who can possibly protect you from anyone or any _thing_ that would try and hurt you. And...there's something I've wanted to ask you for awhile now."

All Lucy could do was stare as Natsu took both her hands in his own.

"Lucy Heartfilia...would you be my girl?

Lucy, however, was still processing what she had just heard.

Natsu...loved her?

As she continued to stare at her small, pale hands in Natsu's rougher, tan ones, Lucy felt her eyes begin to fill with tears.

"Lucy? Are you okay? Why're you crying?" Natsu looked at Lucy with pure concern shining in his eyes.

Lucy just laughed through her tears as she wiped them away with the back of her hand.

"I'm fine. It's just...I'm so happy. You have no idea how long I've waited to hear those words. To know that you love me...just like I love you. Oh, Natsu!"

Lucy could no longer control herself and finally did something she had wanted to do for so long. She threw her whole body into his strong arms as she wrapped her own around his neck in a tight hug.

Natsu and Lucy laughed joyfully as he spun her around in his arms for a few seconds before he placed a light kiss against her soft, pink lips. They continued to stare into each other's eyes until a loud laugh echoed from behind them, causing the new couple to break apart in surprise.

"Well. It's about time you two got together.

Natsu and Luy turned towards the guild hall's front doors, only to see Gray Fullbuster was leaning in the door frame with a small smirk on his face.

When he saw who it was, Natsu felt his face heat up in anger and embarrassment.

"What the hell is your problem, Frostbite? Don't you know anything about privacy?"

But, all Gray did to answer him was enlarge his smug smile.

"If you wanted privacy, you probably shouldn't confess in front of the entire guild."

This caused Natsu's face to turn a deeper shade of red as Gray's smirk just continued to grow.

"Yeah, well...Shut up, perv-sicle! And you know what I think? I bet you're just jealous I had the balls to ask out my LuLu while _you_ were still figuring out your feelings for the Stalker Bitch!"

Natsu then turned in a huff to walk back over to Lucy, who was now seated at their usual table, surrounded by their friends, Levy McGarden, Erza Scarlet, and Juvia Lockser.

However, before he could reach the tables to sit down, Natsu's sensitive dragon ears picked up the sounds of a young child's crying from somewhere in Magnolia.

"Who _is_ that?"

On a sudden impulse, Natsu spun on his heels and ran back out the guild's front doors, knocking Gray over in the process.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Pyro?" Gray yelled after Natsu as he picked himself up off the ground.

"I'll be right back! There's something I need to check out!" Natsu shouted over his shoulder as he picked up speed to find the source of the crying.

Because, for some strange reason, he could feel every one of his dragon instincts telling him to protect and comfort the child, whoever they were.

Gray, however, was lost as to what had just happened.

Uncertain of what else to do, he began to chase Natsu through the streets of Magnolia.

" _The flaming idiot's gona get himself hurt if he's not careful_." Gray thought to himself.

So, he followed Natsu as close as he could without being seen.

***TIME SKIP***

After what seemed like a useless search through many different smells and sounds, Natsu finally stopped outside a small alleyway. For the moment he had reached the alley's entrance, the light scent of campfires and honey filled his nostrils. He followed the oddly familiar scent deeper into the darkness of the alley until he arrived at a pair of aluminum trash cans. And as soon as he looked behind the cans, Natsu noticed a small girl with long pink hair pulled into twin ponytails, cowering in the corner.

"Hey there." he said in a gentle tone as he crouch down to her level. "Are you all right, sweetie? Why are you crying back here all by yourself?"

As he said this, Natsu gently petted her head until the girl was staring up at him with a pair of big brown eyes _exactly like Lucy's_.

Just then, a spark of realization appeared in her eyes, causing the little girl to jump into his arms with tears still flowing down her cheeks.

When she did this, Natsu's dragon instincts had him hugging her protectively to try and calm her down. And if that wasn't surprising enough, the young child said something that would change Natsu's life forever.

"Daddy! Tell Unca Gray and Auntie Juvia to talk to Storm! He keeps picking on me and saying I'm a weak wizard. Please...MAKE HIM STOP!"

At these words, Gray stepped out from his hiding place just outside the alley's entrance.

"Natsu? What the hell's goin' on here? You never told us you had a kid!"

But, Natsu was just as surprised at the girl's words as he was. So, Gray gave a heavy sigh before reaching out a hand to help him off the ground.

"Come on, flame brain. Let's just get you back to the guild."

And a few minutes later, Natsu and Gray were walking back to Fairy Tail with the little girl's arms wrapped tightly around Natsu's neck. Oddly enough, he could still feel his instincts telling him to protect the small child.

When they had finally reached the guild hall, Lucy was standing by the bar with Mirajane Strauss, waiting for Natsu to return. However, the moment she saw the pink-haired child in Natsu's arms, Lucy stormed up to him in a fit of rage and hurt. And before he got a chance to explain himself, the little girl jumped from Natsu's arms and ran into Lucy's.

"Mama! You're back from Gramma and Grampa's grave. Did you bring me a present like you promised?"

The entire guild turned their heads at the young girl's words and was now watching the peculiar scene taking place in the middle of the Fairy Tail guild hall.

From what the crowd could gather, a pink-haired, brown-eyed little girl was calling Lucy "Mama". And a few wizards around the guild were saying they'd heard the same girl calling Natsu "Daddy".

" _Oh, this was going to be fun_." Gray thought to himself, watching Lucy turn a bright cherry red as she and the girl were quickly surrounded by Levy, Erza, Juvia, Mirajane, and Cana Alberona, all of whom were squealing excitedly and gushing over the small child.

Meanwhile, Gray was still trying to make sense of what was happening. But, that didn't mean he wasn't going to have some fun at his friends's expense.


	2. Chapter 2

"100 jewel says the kid's a prank." Gray said to Gajeel Redfox, another one of Fairy Tail's Dragon Slayers, who was sitting at the bar eating a bowl of scrap metal.

"I ain't so sure. Runt smells way too much like the fire-eater." Gajeel answered through a mouthful of iron.

While Gray and Gajeel were talking, Natsu was a few seats, trying to decide what to do about his current situation.

"Might as well deal, I guess." he said out loud.

And at that moment, both Gray and Gajeel just looked over at him and shrugged.

"Better you than me, dude." they each said simultaneously.

Natsu flipped them off before he walked over to Lucy and the little girl, who was now hiding shyly behind Lucy's legs.

Natsu smiled wide as he took the little girl in one arm and wrapped the other around Lucy's shoulders.

"You all right here, ladies? Hey Lucy? We should probably get our little girl home, don'tcha think?"

This caused the young girl to stare at Natsu in confusion.

"Daddy? Why does everybody keep calling me "little girl"? You all know my name is Nashi. Right, Mama?"

Lucy smiled softly as she tussled the young girl's hair. "Of course we do, sweetheart. Now, let's go home, 'kay?"

Gray watched Natsu and Lucy leave with Nashi, glad that his fellow guild members waited until they were gone before starting to gossip.

They were all saying how cute the girl was or how she looked like a pink-haired Lucy and so on.

But, the big thing on Gray's mind was just where the little girl had come from in the first place.

***TIME SKIP***

Fifteen minutes later, Natsu, Lucy, and Nashi were back inside Lucy's apartment for the night.

Lucy was playing with Nashi at her small wooden table while Natsu was cooking some of the fish that he had caught with Happy before he left on a mission to New Extalia with Carla and Panther Lily.

"Dinner's almost ready, you two. Just a few more minutes." he said with a smile.

Lucy looked up from the card game she was playing with Nashi. "Great. Thanks for cooking today, Natsu."

She then turned back to her daughter before speaking again.

"Nashi, what do we say when someone does something nice for us?"

Nashi then looked up from her own cards and gave Natsu a bright smile.

"Thank you, Daddy." Nashi said before twisting back around to survey her cards.

"Mama, do you have any threes?"

Lucy gave her daughter a sly smile as she answered the question.

"Nope. Sorry, sweetie. Go Fish."

Nashi frowned as she drew another card from the stack.

Natsu chuckled to himself as he plated the fish, along with some rice and steamed broccoli and carrots. He then announced in a cheerful voice, "Okay, ladies. Dinner is served!"

"Yay!" Nashi yelled as Natsu placed a plate of food in front of her and Lucy.

But, when she saw the vegetables on her plate, Nashi pouted and slumped in her chair with her arms crossed.

"What's wrong, sweet pea? Is there something wrong with your food?" Lucy asked in concern.

"I don't like veggies. And I'm not gonna eat 'em." Nashi said, deepening her pout.

"Nashi Dragneel! You _will_ eat your vegetables if you want to leave this table!" Natsu said harshly as he glared down at his daughter.

"Yes sir." Nashi mumbled meekly.

"Besides, you have to eat healthy in order to do awesome magic." he added with a wide grin that was slowly mirrored by Nashi, who began to eat with gusto.

Lucy shot Natsu a grateful smile before they each turned to their own meals.

***TIMESKIP*** 

After they had finished eating, the new family walked into the living room and turned on the lacrimavision for a bit of family time before bed. And by the time eight pm had rolled around, Nashi was snoring softly with her head in Natsu's lap.

When he realized this, Natsu carefully stood up and carried the limp body of his daughter into the bedroom for the night.

And as soon as she was tucked in tight, Lucy walked in and the new parents began to prepare for bed themselves.

So, while Natsu removed his vest and sandals, Lucy changed into her pajamas in the bathroom.

When she came out a few minutes later, Lucy gave Natsu a loving smile as they climbed into bed on either side of Nashi's sleeping form.

"Natsu? What are we going to do? We can't just keep pretending to be our older selves forever."

Natsu then took Lucy's hand in his own and gave it a light squeeze

"I'm not sure, LuLu. But, I have a feeling everything will work out in the end. I mean, it always has before, right?" he said with a gentle smile.

"That's true. And it would be fun to get to know our future daughter. Let's do it!"

Lucy then gave a deep yawn as she gave Natsu a tired grin.

"Good night, Natsu Dragneel."

"Good night, Lucy Heartfilia."

And with that, the young couple fell asleep with their hands intertwined.

***TIME SKIP***

The next morning, every available member of the Fairy Tail guild was waiting for Natsu and Lucy to arrive. All of them wanting another look at the mysterious Nashi Dragneel.

As the guild hall continued to fill with wizards, the couple in question were walking to the guild hall themselves with Nashi still fast asleep with her head tucked into Natsu's neck.

"Hey...Lucy? Where do you think Nashi came from, anyway?" Natsu suddenly questioned.

However, his question just caused Lucy to look at Natsu with a small smile.

"I don't know, Natsu. But, do you really care? I think it's nice. I finally have the family I've always dreamed of, along with the man I love." But, when she realized what she had just said, Lucy's face turned a deep crimson red from embarrassment. Even Natsu's face was flushed, for he felt the exact same way about Nashi's sudden appearance. Except he was unable to bring himself to say it out loud.

And when the small family finally made it to the guild hall a few minutes later, Gray noticed that both Natsu and Lucy had vivid red faces and avoiding eye contact with each other.

"Lucy! Over here!" Levy called from across the guild, drawing Lucy over to her and Juvia while Natsu left the still-sleeping Nashi in the care of Bisca and Alzack, who had a young daughter of their own.

Natsu's face was still pink as he drifted over to speak to Gray, Gajeel, and Elfman Strauss.

"Hey guys." he said in a dull tone. "So, how were your nights?"

"Quiet." Gray said with a shrug, trying not to blush as he remembered Juvia cuddling up to him last night.

Natsu took one look at Gray's uncomfortable face and gave the other two in the group a smug smile.

"I'm guessing Gray's night was the same as mine. But, I'm also guessing that he didn't have an adorable daughter tucked in your arms as well."

"Shut it, Pyro." Gray muttered, this time blushing a bit and lacking his usual snap.

But, after a few seconds, he pulled himself together and cleared his throat before speaking.

"So, any ideas where she came from?"

Natsu just shook his head in an answer.

"Not a one. But, to tell you the truth, I don't think I care. I mean, if you look at her, it's obvious she's mine and Lucy's. And now, we can raise our daughter together, like a real family."

The other boys then stared at Natsu with a strange look on each of their faces, as if they were trying to hold in several different smart-ass remarks in response to his sudden announcement.

Natsu was about to ask just what their problem was, when all of a sudden, Lisanna Strauss stormed over and began to yell at the dragon slayer in a furious rage.

"GOD DAMMIT, NATSU! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO MARRY _ME_! AND HAVE A FAMILY WITH _ME_! I know you. And you've known how I felt for years. Ever since we were kids, I've loved you. Why, Natsu? WHY DID YOU BETRAY ME?"

After her rant, Lisanna threw her head in her hands and began to cry loudly, drawing the attention of everyone in the guild. Gray winced at Lisanna's act as he carefully moved away from an angry Natsu, waiting for the oncoming explosion.

But, instead of shouting at Lisanna, Natsu gave a heavy sigh.

"Lisanna...listen. We were just kids when Happy was born. And I'll admit...it was kinda fun pretending to be Happy's parents. And maybe, at one time, something may have happened between us. But, we're both eighteen. We need to grow up and my life is all about Lucy now. And with Nashi in the picture, well, I don't think I've been this happy since Igneel disappeared. I'm sorry if you're upset or even angry. But, you and I are _never going to happen_. Now, if you don't mind, I have to go save my girls from that horde of Fairy Tail's female wizards."

Gray winced a quiet "ow" at the look of complete betrayal on Lisanna's face as Natsu stood up to walk up to walk over to Lucy, who was now holding a smiling Nashi in her arms.

"This isn't over!" Gray heard Lisanna mutter before she stormed off in a huff. But, before he could dwell on her words, Juvia tackled him, distracting Gray completely.

Natsu gave a quiet snort of laughter as he watched Gray try to free himself from the tangle of limbs that was him and Juvia. He then marched over to Lucy and Nashi, who were now trying to fend off the gushings of Levy, Cana, Erza, and Mirajane.

All right. All right. Break it up over here, ladies."

Natsu smiled as he bent down to pull Nashi into his arms.

"Hey there, angel. You wanna help Daddy pick out a job?"

Nashi's eyes grew wide in surprise.

"I...I can really help you, Daddy?"

"Of course you can, princess. Let's go right now."

The two then walked over to the request board with Lucy and spent nearly twenty minutes trying to find the perfect job. 

***TIME SKIP***

Once Gray was finally free of Juvia, he looked around, only to see Natsu and Lucy at the request board with Nashi.

"I agree with Lucy." he called, overhearing Lucy warning her boyfriend against certain jobs due to their daughter.

Gray continued to watch the group in amusement before his thoughts were driven back to questions about Nashi.

Something was definately going on here.

There was no doubt the kid was Natsu and Lucy's, but where _exactly_ had she come from?

Gray tried to gain Natsu's attention for the entire morning, but Natsu's eyes and ears were focused on anything and everything Nashi would say and do.

By noon, Lucy was gossiping with Juvia and Cana on the second floor of the guild hall and Nashi was sitting with Levy, reading a picture book. So, while Natsu was ordering a few bowls of Fairy Ramen from Mirajane, Gray walked by him and whispered that he needed to speak to him and Lucy as soon as possible. And when Gray sat at the bar for an ice cream sundae, Nashi ran over and hugged his now-bare leg.

She frowned up at him with a worried look in her bright, brown eyes.

"Unca Gray? Are you okay? You look really, really sad."

"Nah. I'm all right, squirt. Just thinkin' about scary adult stuff." Gray said with a smile as he lifted her into the air.

Nashi laughed out loud as Gray pretended to fly her all across the guild hall.

"Nashi! Sweetie, it's time for lunch!" Lucy called from the bottom of the second floor stairs.

Gray put Nashi down and, with a loud giggling, she ran into Lucy's outstretched arms, causing a loud "Awwwwwww!" to echo from every female member of the guild.

The ice mage snickered along with the other men in the guild as Lucy blushed and tried to come up with some response. But, Natsu didn't even miss a beat.

He just grinned as he swung his arms around Lucy, leading her over to a nearby table where he had placed three bowls of steaming ramen.

"They're so cute, aren't they, Gray-sama?" Juvia said softly, walking up to Gray. He blushed slightly as she wrapped her arms around one of his, her eyes never leaving the happy family.

"Y...Yeah." he muttered as he remembered something Nashi had said in the alley where Natsu had found her.

She had said that he and Juvia supposedly had a young boy named Storm. And he was beginning to wonder about which parent the boy took after.

" _God help us if he inherited my stripping habit."_ Gray thought to himself.

" _Wait a second_." he mused as he turned back to his girlfriend.

"Hey, Juvi? Which parent do you think Nashi takes after?" the ice mage questioned, bringing a thoughtful look to Juvia's face. "I mean, she obviously got her looks from the pyro, but I've been wondering just what kind of magic she uses."

"Well, Juvia thinks she may look like Natsu, but she is also kind like Lucy. So, perhaps...she has her mother's magic." Juvia answered.

Gray nodded in agreement while discreetly moving his now-free arm to wrap it around Juvia, making her blush a bright tomato red.

"Maybe you're right, my water lily." he said with a flirty smile.

At that moment, Mirajane arrived with Gray's ice cream sundae, causing Gray to thank her and sit down with Juvia at his side.

And several minutes later, Nashi ran up to Gray and Juvia with Natsu at her heels.

"Nashi Dragneel! You come back here right this second! You can't just run through the guild hall when it's all crowded like this!"

"Like you can talk, squinty-eyes!" Gray muttered as he stood up just in time to catch Nashi and bring her into his arms protectively.

"You can't yell at her for running in the guild when you're doing the _exact same thing_ , you dumb fireball!" Gray shouted at Natsu, who was now glaring at him angrily.

Nashi then jumped from Gray's arms and ran over to her father, placing a gentle hand on his leg.

"Daddy, don't be mad at Unca Gray. I just wanted to show you and him a drawing I made with Auntie Levy."

As she said this, the little girl held out a piece of paper covered in colorful scribbles. "Here, Daddy. Look at this."

Natsu took the piece of paper from his daughter hand and placed it on the counter between himself, Gray, and Juvia, who were quickly joined by Lucy, Mirajane, Elfman, and Laxus Dreyar.

They all stared at the drawing, which seemed to be a crude assortment of colors with stick figures under them. In shaky letters were the unknown names of several people, including Nashi's and a Storm Fullbuster.

"Weird." Gray whispered to Natsu. "And no ideas where she came from?"

Natsu just shook his head as Laxus took the picture from his hands.

"Could be another dimension or timeline." he said with a shrug, causing the entire group to nod, for that made sense and would explain a lot.

Suddenly, the group was joined by Gajeel and Levy.

"What's with the shitty ass blobs?" Gajeel asked, though we knew he didn't mean it.

"Could be just for color. We could ask little Nashi." Elfman said quietly, leaving off his usual man quote.

He had changed quite a bit since the Tartaros attack.

Gray shrugged, silently along with the others, though something nagged at the back of his mind. Something about a clock and a star. But, he decided to figure it out later, for he had somewhere to be.

"I gotta run. I'll see you guys later." Gray said and walked out of the guild.

***TIME SKIP*** 

Several minutes later, Gray was three streets away, knocking on the door of a small town house. And as soon as he stopped knocking, the door opened to reveal a very old woman leaning over with age.

"Gray. I wasn't expecting you." the old woman rasped as she shuffled to the side and allowed him to enter her home, stripping out of his shirt and shoes as he did so.

"I need to know how it's possible for a kid to travel through time." he said bluntly as soon as the door had closed and earned a sharp look from the old woman.

"Please Ultear. I need your help."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

* * *

"Time is not something a child could or _should_ be able to use." Ultear said angrily as Gray dropped onto her couch shirtless and sighed.

"But you did." he countered and earned another sharp glare for his troubles.

"Look," he continued. "I think Natsu's kid came from the future and I need to figure out if it's affecting the timeline. You at least taught me that much."

As Gray told her this, he watched Ultear's withered face soften slightly as she sat down and sighed.

"Have you considered the child being a fake?" she asked, causing Gray to shake his head.

"There's too many coincidences and she's harmless." he told her as he watched as she closed her eyes in thought.

He knew she could be awhile so Gray stood up and made his way into the kitchen to make for them both, losing his shoes along the way.

Nearly two hours later, Gray spent his time at Ultear's home, discussing possiblities for Nashi's appearence.

And when he finally had to leave, he made sure to leave her a small meal to eat.

But, before he left, Ultear told Gray that she had a few more ideas about the young child, however, she needed to do a bit of research to be sure.

* * *

A few days later, Natsu was returning home from his chosen mission, excited to see his mate and daughter once again.

After the train had finally stopped and he was able to get over his motion sickness, the dragon slayer exited the train station and ran through the streets of Magnolia, not stopping until he was standing outside Lucy's apartment.

Unable to contain himself, Natsu threw open the front door as he shouted into the interior.

"LUCY! I'M HOME!"

A few minutes later, he laughed out loud as Lucy and Nashi entered the room, wearing looks of both confusion and exasperation.

"Natsu, really?" Lucy laughed. "That show is so bad it makes want to bleach my eyes and brain."

However, Natsu just shrugged as he bent down to Nashi's level.

"Hey, princess. Don't I get a welcome home hug?"

The little girl smiled brightly as she ran into his arms.

"Welcome home, Daddy!" she cried as she wrapped her arms around my neck as Natsu placed a soft kiss on the top of her head.

After they had eaten lunch, Natsu was sitting on Lucy's couch, watching T.V. with Lucy leaning on his shoulder and Nashi asleep in his lap.

Seeing this, he carefully picked up his daughter and carried her to Lucy's bedroom for her nap.

He laid Nashi's body on the bed and kissed her softly on the forehead before tucking her in.

Natsu then smiled as he closed the door and walked back out to Lucy, who was sitting on the couch flipping through channels. And he was about to sit down when there was a sharp knock on the front door.

* * *

Gray continued to knock on Lucy's front door, hoping that they were at home.

Ultear had sent him a message that morning, saying that she had been up the entire night researching her theory about Nashi's sudden appearance and she needed him to gather a bit of information about her from Natsu and Lucy.

"Please be here." he muttered as he absently tugged off his shirt.

Natsu finally answered the door and when he saw who it was, he gave his rival an annoyed look.

"What do you want, Frosty? We're a little busy here."

Gray, however, just sighed as he fought the urge to punch Natsu in the face.

"Look Pyro. I just need to talk to you and Lucy. It's about Nashi. Surely you've realized that she doesn't belong here. In our current timeline. We need to figure out how to get her back to her own time."

At his words, Natsu tried to hide his fury, but the look of outright rage on his face was making it highly difficult. Lucky for him, Lucy showed up at the door at that very moment.

"Gray?" she questioned as she gently moved Natsu to the side. "Is there something wrong?"

The ice wizard took a deep breath to calm himself down.

"Where's Nashi?" he asked first and held up his hands to the two parents.

"I'm not after her or anything. I just don't want her to hear me." I said carefully as Lucy nodded while nervously biting her lip while Natsu just glared at me.

"Lucy, can anyone use a Celestial Spirit if they wanted to?" Gray asked, earning a confused look from the female wizard. She was probably trying to figure out how this related to her daughter.

"No, you have to be some kind of Celestial Spirit mage." she said, confused.

And Gray nodded, expecting that kind of answer.

"Do you have any Spirit that has anything to do with time?" Gray asked and growled when Natsu suddenly broke in.

"What the hell does this have to do with Nashi?" he snapped, causing Gray to clench his fists, trying not to hit the dragon slayer as he kept his attention on Lucy.

"Natsu's got a point, Gray. What _does_ this have to do with Nashi?" she asked as Gray decided to reveal his thoughts.

"Guys, I think Nashi may used a Spirit to travel to our time." He said bluntly and was rewarded by stunned silence.

Suddenly, Lucy gave a squeal of delight.

"That means our little baby took after me!" she shrieked happily, while Natsu looked torn between being proud or groaning.

* * *

Several minutes later, Gray was finally able to bring the conversation back around its main point.

And after another few minutes of discussion, Lucy and Natsu found themselves wrapped in each other's arms as Gray told them about his ideas behind Nashi's mysterious appearance.

"Lucy...you know she can't stay here." he said slowly, but instead of her going off, Natsu did.

"What do you mean, you frozen bastard? She's our, so damn right she's staying here!" he yelled at Gray, causing him to finally lose his temper.

"You'll ruin the timeline, you flaming dumbass!" he yelled back before they both dove to the floor, fighting and throwing punches, and missing it when a little pinkette walked in wrapped in a blanket cloak.

However, Lucy didn't miss a beat, scooping up her daughter and going to the kitchen, not even bothering with the two wrestling boys as Gray's information finally sank in.

What were they going to do? If they tried to keep Nashi in this time, the girl would be ripped apart when her other self was born. But, if Lucy never got pregnant, then Nashi fade away forever. The safest bet would be to send her back. Unfortunately, that would hurt both her and Natsu.

"What am I going to do?" Lucy whispered as she set Nashi down at the kitchen table and put her head in her hands.

"We can make fire cookies, Mama." Nashi said innocently and Lucy had to laugh at the innocence of her daughter.

"Alright, sweetie. How do you make fire cookies?" Lucy indulged, wincing when she heard a cloud crash in her living room, telling her the T.V. was destroyed.

* * *

When Natsu and Gray had finally finished their fighting, Lucy brought out tall glasses of iced tea.

However, as Gray sipped his tea, he stared at Lucy, noticing that she was making a great effort to hide her worries and tears.

So, instead, he gave her an encouraging nod before leaving, making sure to grab his pants as he did, since he had lost nearly everything else.

Natsu, still furious at Gray for trying to tear his family apart, continued to stare at the ice wizard as he walked out the front door. And when he was finally gone, the dragon slayer turned to Lucy in an angry fit.

"Lucy! What the hell is the matter with you?! Why didn't you just let me punch that frozen pervert right in his stupid face?!"

"BECAUSE HE'S RIGHT, NATSU!" she cried, bursting into tears and causing Natsu to jump in surprise before stepping forward and wrapping his arms around her.

"Natsu, we have to send her back before we end up killing her by mistake." she whispered weakly. Even Natsu felt his heart break a little as he glanced into the kitchen at his daughter, who was playing happily with bright red cookie dough.

It was all he could do to hold back his tears as Lucy cried her own into his shirt. They _would_ have to find a way to send Nashi back to her own time.

 _But, how_?

* * *

Gray spent the next few days on a mission with Juvia and he did this for several different reasons.

One, to let Pyro and Lucy to figure things out. The second, to be with Juvia. And the third, to clear his own head.

* * *

* _TIME SKIP_ *

When Gray and Juvia arrived back at the guild hall four days later, it was to a more somber atmosphere. It seemed everyone had learned of Nashi's origins and the stress it was putting on the current timeline.

Noticing an incredibly depressed Natsu and Lucy sitting off to the side apart from each other, Gray turned to his own girlfriend with a worried look.

"Juvia..." he began, but stopped as the water mage rested a gentle hand on his arm and gave him an understanding nod, as if she already knew what he was going to say.

After giving each other a soft kiss, the two seperated to go and comfort their respective friends.

Unfortunately, Natsu and Lucy both looked like they had both given up. Not a good sign.

* * *

Natsu was exhausted.

He and Lucy had been up all night thinking about Nashi and their current situation.

Gray told them that a Celestial Spirit had used to bring her to our time. He even seemed to know so much that I decided to pull him aside to see if he had some idea as to which Spirit had been used.

He had already asked Lucy, but she was so distraught that she was unable to think straight.

And he got his chance sooner than expected, as Gray had suddenly decided to join him, carrying two large pints of beer for them both.

"Hey Gray." he said sadly.

"Hey buddy." Gray said in a friendly tone. "How're you doin'?"

"I'm fine, but...I'm worried about Lucy. She's so upset about having to return Nashi to her own time." Natsu took the beer Gray offered and sipped it slowly.

"You know, Natsu. If Nashi is your daughter, then even if you send her back, then she'll be born and able to exist, anyway. So, technically, you'll be able to get her back."

Taking in his friend's kind words, Natsu perked up a bit as he gave Gray a small smile.

"Thanks for cheering me up, Gray."the fire mage said before he downed his beer in one gulp.

Feeling a burst of courage, Natsu was finally able to bring himself to talk to Gray about Nashi.

"Hey, Frostbite? I was just curious if you had any ideas about the Celestial Spirit Nashi may have used to travel through time."

"I'm actually not all that sure. It could be any number of Spirits. The only one that could tell us anything would probably be Lucy or maybe Yukino." I told Natsu in disappointment.

Because, unfortunately, it would be impossible to get to Yukino since she was on a mission in another country, but, maybe Juvia would be able to calm Lucy down enough to ask her about it.

After they had finished talking, Natsu decided to take Lucy and Nashi home.

Standing up, he made his way across the guild, only to be stopped by Gajeel of all people.

"Listen, flame-brain, shit's real messed up right now. Enjoy your time with the brat. _While you can_." the Iron Dragon Slayer told him.

Natsu, however, just gave him a confused look, his eyes darting over to where Lucy and Juvia sat with Nashi before turning back to Gajeel.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Natsu asked suspiciously while the other man leaned in close.

And, surprisingly, Gajeel didn't even blush, instead his eyes grew darker as he answered in a harsh whisper.

"I just got a bad feeling somethin's gonna happen." he told the fire mage, causing Natsu to clench his fists in fear.

Ever since Gajeel's brush with death, he could get feelings of when something was off. The entire guild knew to take it seriously after dismissing one and thus having to rebuild the guild hall... _again_.

Natsu was finally able to walk over to Lucy and Nashi with Gajeel's warning still echoing in his mind.

 _Just what did Gajeel mean 'shit's 'bout to go down'? Surely if we return Nashi to her own time, everything will be back to normal, right?_

Natsu was so distracted by his thoughts that he slammed his knee into the corner of a nearby table, causing to cry out in pain.

"FUCKING SHIT THAT HURT!"

However, his shouts caused Lucy to look up at the dragon slayer in surprise.

Her eyes were red and puffy while the other females all glared at him.

"Natsu! Swear jar!" Levy commanded, pointing at a new large jar that Mirajane had set up and that was already filled a great deal.

Natsu grumbled angrily as he walked over to the bar and placed 100 jewel into the jar. He then walked back to Lucy and the girls, Erza just shaking her head in disgust.

"Lucy...we need to talk." Natsu finally said, motioning to the other girls to leave so that he could get to Lucy.

"Iron Breath's saying something's about to happen. We need to get Nashi home." he said in a soft, but serious tone as Lucy wiped her eyes and nodded in agreement.

Giving Lucy a gentle kiss, Natsu picked up Nashi in his arms as he and Lucy walked out of the guild for the day.

A few minutes later, the concerned parents were walking through Magnolia with Nashi holding both their hands between them.

Both Natsu and Lucy walked in silence, lost in thought and unsure how to bring up thieir worries to each other.

However, Nashi didn't seem to be very happy either.

"Can we get ice cream?" the little girl asked, looking up at her parents with her own worry shining in her buig brown eyes.

But, Natsu and Lucy were still stuck in their own minds, unable to hear anything except their own tangled thoughts.

Unfortunately, this caused Nashi worry to grow and her cautious movements showing her emotion as she watched her parents.

"Daddy? Mama? Are you okay?" she asked with tears welling up in her eyes.

Finally, Lucy blinked a few times, the haze of her thoughts lifting as her own eyes focused on her daughter.

"Hey baby, what's wrong?" the blonde mage asked as she wiped Nashi's tears and pulled her close.

The movements finally drew Natsu's attention and his olive eyes filled with present concerns as he pushed away thoughts of the future.

"We're sorry, princess. Mommy and Daddy were just thinking about something boring. Why don't we head out for dinner tonight? There's a great little cafe up ahead." Natsu then forced himself to smile as he took Lucy's free hands and began to lead them towards the small cafe.


End file.
